The Sky Queen
by dawnslight33
Summary: Sarah Holding led peaceful life on Skull Island until one day she's captured and imprissioned by a pirate ship. She's rescued but forced to work for the mysterious and charismatic pirate, Captain Iridian Blade. This story follows her diary entries and she struggles to cope with and survive this new world she's been thrust into.
1. Chapter 1

July 18, 1836

In my current inprisonment i am only glad i found this journal to keep my sanity. Let me explain what happened. I can still see it in my mind. I was getting cleaning up after dinner. Lord Sylvester was attending to some business associates in his office, the rest of the servants and I were hastening to clean the dining room after the lavish feast he had thrown for them. I could catch hints of the associates chatter from the dining room. I must have wandered off in daydreams again when Shannon, Lady Senna's lady in waiting, tapped me on the shoulder and ordered me to gather more water from the well outside. The day was bright, beautiful and sunny as it usually was on Skull Island. I drifted off in my daydreams while gathering the water, i must have been completely lost in my own mind because the next thing i knew a exceptionally loud blast almost seemed to shatter my ears and leave them ringing, I was also on the ground covered in the water from the well bucket. My head began to pound but I couldn't lift it from the ground or open my eyes . After a moment my eyes slowly opened but squeezed shut as soon as the light hit it. I could hear screams and panic but they seemed so far away.I could also hear Lord Sylvester and Lady Senna's toddler son David crying, but after a moment the world turned to darkness around me.

I woke up in darkness and silence. The world was spinning around me. I lay with my eyes shut for wt seemed like an eternity. I had no concept of what time it was or what had happened to me. Finally after what seemed like an eternity lying still i opened my eyes i could feel something moving and shaking around me, like a ship, I think it was a ship, though i'd only been one or two in my life, it felt like a ship. I reached out in front of me and felt cold steel. My head was swimming , i felt the ground beneath me, trying to get up but all i felt was hard wooden planks. In my confused, delerious state I still could not piece together where i was but I managed to slowly stand up though my legs shook. I grabbed in front of me to steady them. I felt cold steel again. I felt it, it felt like bars. I strained to see where i was. The area was cold and dark but a few torches were lit on the wall in front of me. I felt was was in front of me further, they were definitly steel bars and the area shook around me, it had to be a ship. A ship dungeon? Suddenly there were loud blasts coming from above me, cannons? I had no time to think as the ship swerved and rocked around me so violently that I had to hang desperately from the jail bars just to remain upright.

After a moment the cannons ceased and yelling, gun fire and the soud of clanging metal could be heard. I strained my my ears trying to hear more when a heard a door open, and footsteps. I tried to see what, or who, could be approaching me when i heard a voice. "This ain't weapons" It said , it sounded like a girl. The footsteps sounded closer until a figure loomed in front of me , it was hard to see but the figure looked small and thin, it's back was turned to me. I tried to ry out but all trhat came out was a small squeak, but it was enough to catch the persons attention, the figure turned to me. I couldn't see her features clearly but she seemed to be about the same age as me, as in thirteen years. She was eating an apple. The edges of her mouth curved into a coy smile. "Well, Well" she said "Another prisoner of the Falling Water." She had a slight hint of a Mooshu accent and Falling Water was that the name of the ship? "What's yer name, girl?" she asked, she took a bit of her apple. "Sarah, Sarah Holding" I managed to say. The girls face twisted in confusion. "That accent" she said "yer from Marleybone ain't ye?" I shook my head "Skull Island, my parents were from Marleybone" She took another bite of her apple. "Funny" she said "Ye dont look like a dog, could ye possibly point me towards the weapons room?" I gaped at her, I was trapped here against my will and she was asking where the weapons were. "Can you please get out of here" I asked after a minute. The girl took one more bite of her apple and threw it behind her. "Depends, what makes ye thing ya worthy of yer freedom?" I could feel my anger building and i dont get mad easily but i could only gap at her. She smiled at me again. "Alright, lass i'll realease ye" She disppeared around the corner and returned with a clanging chain of keys. She inserted a key into the lock and in a minute i was out. She smiled again "Follow me" she said.


	2. Chapter 2

I followed the girl from the dungeon and up on deck. On deck maddness was happening. Two ships were locked together. Men and boys were fighting with steel and fire, most of them were dressed in rags and patches, it was immensly loud and crowded. The ship that was occupied was small. Shappy and in disrepair as far as i could see. The second ship connected to it was a grand Mareybonian ship, it was huge. It was two shades of blue. The sails were like immense white clouds. They had an blue and yellow emblem of crowned skull and intertwined swords behind it on them. People ran, yelled and hooted loudly, I had a hard enough time staying out of the way of the chaos. The small ship was a flurry of fire and swords. I saw two boys running carrying chests and loot. I was still slightly delerious and still could not put everything together. The girl smiled wide and called out "Come on boys! We've got enough loot!" The boys hollared. They slashed their opponents, some men I even saw being thrown overboard and slowly they made their way towards the second ship. In the chaos the girl pulled out a gun, a well made one at that, and fired at three barrels on the deck. In a moment the deck was inblazened with fire. The girl ran, still grinning, toward the large Marleybonian ship, I followed.

When we reached the second ship the girl shouted again "Raise sails men, were shipping off!" The boys ran and pulled on ropes and pully's, the sails swelled and raised and in an instant we were moving. I watched in horror as the burning ship faded behind us. The girl walked over to the chests and barrels sitting on the deck. She opened a chest. Inside there was a flash of gold, huindreds or thousands of tiny flecks of gold seemed to glow from the chest. The girl ran her hands through the coins and grinned slyly. She turned to the men. "this is the best haul we've had yet, set sail fer port so we can feast in celebration!" She raised her fist into the air. The ship erupted in cheers. When the girl turned to me i got my first real look at her. She was slightly taller then me and had fiery red hair in spiraled pigtails on each sides of her head but it's her face is what drew me in. She had a large burn above her right eye, the left eye was a pale white, a glass eye, while the right eye was a bright emerald green. She smiled a cocky half smile at me, something shone in her mouth, a silver tooth. "Well then, lassy" she said, walking over to me "What should we do with ya."

She looked me over, her green eye flashing as she looked into mine. "i know exactly what to do with ye" she said low, still looking in my eyes and smiling. She walked over to the edge of the ship and picked up something but through the crowd i couldn't see what it was. She walked over to me again and came back with dirty looking mop in her hand. As she walked back with the mop I got a look of her clothes. She wore a bright red, open coat with yellow trim and gold buttons down the side, from her coat hung a long, curved sword and the fancy black and gold gun she used earlier, short black pants and high brown boots with a black, three corner hat. I looked around the boys crowded around the ship. They were dressed in dirty, ripped clothes and rags that looked like they'd been mended and patched many times. Why they looked like "Pirates!" i said aloud. I felt something being thrown at me, i caught it clumsily. "Why yes we are, lassy" said the girl, suddenly standing in front of me. "I'm glad ye've noticed. i'm afraid I never got the chance to formally introduce myself admist all the fightin."

She bowed low with a flurry of her hat. "I'm Captain Ruthless Iridian Blade, Queen of the Skyways and captain of the Sky Queen, the greatest Marleybonian clipper ship this side of Skull Island." She smiled again. "And you" she continued, tossing me a dirty looking mop. As she did i noticed a large scar on her left hand and another burn on her right. "Are my new crewmate." She continued, "I alwways wanted my own scullery maid." Her and a few of the crewmates chuckled lowly. I couldn't believe it i was captured by pirates and saved only to be captured again, by pirates! I could do nothing but gap at everyone. The captain looked down at me and said "now before ye get get to work, ye better get some new trends, lassy, you look quiet in disarray." I looked down at my self, my dress and apron were torn and dirtied in such a way that i barely recognized them. I blushed slightly.

Iridian called behind her. "Git this girl to the cabin beside mine and give her some fresh clothes." Without a word two boys led me below the deck and down a long corridor to a door near the end of the hall. They opened it and revealed a modest looking, farly well sized, neat room. It had a simple bed in the corner with a nightside beside it with a small lantern. Beside the bed on the other wall was a simple desk and chair with a cabinet beside it. On the opposite wall was a large but modest wardrobe, far beside the bed was a small window that looked out at the skies. I was left alone in the room. I investigated the cabin. First i looked in the wardrobe, it was empty. Then I looked in the cabinet beside the deskand in it I found this journal. It's was dusty but beautiful. Dark scarlet with a bright gold swirled pattern. I stared at as the ship continued through the skies.


	3. Chapter 3

I also found a feather pen and ink bottle in the cabinet but that was all. I looked in the journal, the pages were blank but slightly yellowed and creased. I looked in the bottle, it still had ink it in. I suddenly remembered my soiled clothes. I removed them down to my corset and drawers. I was about to inspect the bed when the door opened. Standing there was a boy, my age, holding some folded clothes in his hand. He had tossled brown hair tied back in a red and white bandana, a ripped white shirt with a small open vest and striped red and white pants. He also had long socks and buckled shoes befitting a Marleybonian gentlemen. I stared at him for a second then remembered my lack of clothing. I felt face grow red. I yelped in the most unladylike fashion, turned away from him and covered myself. "I'm not decent!"I cried. There was a pause before they boy spoke. "Your wearing clothes aren't you? He said "You look deceant to me."

He had a Marleybonian accent. I felt my face getting hotter. "There my underclothes!" I cried. I heard the boy enter the room. "I dont really think it matters as long as your wearing clothes, it's not like your naked, by the way you might want to remove those, they'll be uncomfortable with the new clothes the captain is giving ya, by the way my names Evan." I saw him place the clothes on my bed and turned to the side so he wouldn't see me. Before he left I got up the nerve to ask. "Who owned this cabin last?" I heard him stop "I dont know, the captain bought this ship a long time ago, no one knows who owned it last, not even the vendors" he said thoughtfully. "Anyway", he continued "you better get changed, the captains waiting for you up on deck" I felt my face getting red again. "I will as soon as you get out!" I shouted. "Alright" I heard the boy say, i looked over my shoulder as he closed the door.

I sighed and looked at the clothes on my bed. A short white dress with skirts hanging in front of it and a blue vest. Long white stockings and simple peasant shoes. I sighed again. It wasn't exactly ladylike but it was better then my soiled clothes. I put them on and made my way back up deck. The deck was bustling with activity as the crew tended to their duties. I looked around for the captain but couldn't see her. Suddenly I felt someone behind me. I turned and was face to face with woman, but not an ordinary woman, she was a was dressed in a raggedy dress and carried a huge gun. "Are ye looking for someone?" she asked, she spoke in an accent i did not recognize. I gained my composure after staring at her for a minute and cleared my throat. "Yes" I said, "I'm looking for Iridian." I heard a boys voice from across the ship "You will refer to you as the catain and nothing more" he said. The fox woman chuckled. "She's in her office, i'll show ye the way, ye can call me Bonny Anne." Bonny Anne led me below the ship to a large wooden door. She knocked and I heard Iridian's, or should I say the captain's, voice from within "Yes?" "The new girl wishes to speak with ye, captain" Bonnie Anne called "Let 'er in" The captain said after a minute. Bonnie Anne smiled at me "I have to go back up deck and continue my work now, but you talk to the captain." I thanked her and opened the door.

The room was spacious but not really that big, there were pictures of intricate maps and paintings of ships at sea all over the walls. The room was a deep scarlet red. And there was a beautiful, plush, red rug on the floor. Iridian, the captain, sat at a large, beautiful, mahogany desk in front of a huge curtained window, hunched over a map. She looked up as I entered. "Ah, lassy, ya look much better, have a seat" I closed the door. "Thank you" I said. I sat in a plush red chair in front of the desk. "Now what can i do fer ya?" The captain asked. "Well" I started. "More then anything , i want to do what happened to me." "Hmph." The captain said. "Ye come from Skull Island did ye say?" "Yes" i answered. The captain turned back to her map. "Skull Island was ransacked by some rouge pirates, ye must have been near a stray cannonball and knocked out."That would explain the loud blast I heard before I ended up in that cell. "Yes." I said thoughtfully, everything was quiet for a moment. "What became of Skull Island" I finally asked "I dont know" the captain responded "I wasn't there, i only heard it was invaded." I thought of all the poor families affected by this when a thought entered into my mind that made my stomach feel sick. Lord Sylvester and his family!

What had become of them after the explosion? "I must get back to Skull Island!" I cried. The capatin looked up at me. "I must get back there,I have to see if my master and his family are alright!" I yelled. The captain turned back to the map. "I'm sorry, lass" she said. "I'm not going back to Skull Island for a while, i've got a some jobs to do, now if'n ye want to stay on this ship and take the roundabout trip ye must earn yer keep by doing good work, it be pretty hard to get to Skull Island on your own from here I imagine." I could feel my face getting hot from anger. "My master and his family took me in after my parents died, I must know what has become of them!" The captain didn't look up at me."I have given my orders" she said decidingly. Unable to take the captains stubburnness anymore I stormed out of the room and up onto the deck. i felt like crying but for some reason I didn't, maybe it was because I was mad with the captain. I grabbed the old dirty mop and began mopping side to side violently. I swear one day i'll make it back to Skull Island and find out what has happened to Lord Sylvester and his family. That's a promise.


	4. Chapter 4

I stared at the plate in front of me, feeling quiet exposed in just the clothes the captain had provided me. We had docked at a tiny island about a half an hour ago, it was dusk and the sun hung low in the skies. Iridian had ordered me below deck befire we arrived at the island so i was not sure where exactly where it was, i guess she did not want me to know. The captain, the crew and I all sat at a large, finely made table with a feast served in front of us. There was a veriety of fruits including apples, pears, plums and even pinapple. Fresh batacuda and flying fish to name a few things. The plates looked like they were stolen from Marleybone but the pirates prefered to pile everything up on large, stale pieces of bread. I could not muster up the will to eat though, i could not not stop thinking of Lord Sylvester's family. I wonder what had happened to his little son David. He was only three years of age. I heard him crying, was he hurt? I looked up and stared at Iridian from across the table. A crewmate told a rather profane joke and she laughed heartily, holding a slab of bread in her hand. I looked back at my plate and sighed, I did not even bother scooping anything for myself.

I was sitting beside Evan, the boy who presented me with my new clothes earlier in the day, and horribly embarrassed me. I could feel my cheeks turning pink from the memory of it. I could feel him staring at me. After a minute he nudged my shoulder, I looked up at him. "Why do you look so glum?" He asked with a mouth full of food. "Nothing" I mumbled turning back to my plate. I heard him swallow. "Oh come on" he said. "You haven't touched a morsal of food, do you want to waste all of Abe's hard work?" I looked back up at him. "Abe?" I asked. "Ya, he's the cook" he said, whiping his mouth with a napkain. He gestered over to a boy sitting near the other end of the table. He had dark hair and dark blue eyes. He was dressed in red and black rags. "I guess i should introduce you to some of the crew" Evan said said bashfully. I had already counted, there were twenty boys in all, including Evan. Evan started pointing to some of the boys at the table.

He pointed to a boy with godlen hair and an over sized brown coat and a large axe strapped to his back, sitting at the front of the table. "That's Rudy he handles the large weapons he's a master with an axe." He then pointed to another blode boy dressed in white and blue stripes sitting near the captain. "That's Micheals his job is navigation, he's usually up in the crows nest." He pointed to a third boy with blue hair, a three corner hat and a tattered yellow coat similar to the captains. "And that's Arthur he's in carge of the sails..." Evan's voice drifted off as I noticed a strange boy sitting a few seats from me. He looked older then the other boys. He had long hair, as black as the darkest night tied back by a ribbon. His eyes were an intense cold silver. He normal pirate garb with an oversizerd, dark coat, dark pants and long boots but what was interesting about him is that most of his clothing was covered in feathers, from his three corner hat to his boots, he even had a staff beside him that was covered in feathers. He had an eye patch over his left eye.

"Who's that?" I asked, pointing at the strange boy. Evan stopped midsentance talking about some boy named Caspian and followed my finger. "Oh" he said "That's Dead-Eye it's best to avoid him, he doesn't like talking to people." I stared at him, Dead-Eye, that couldn't be his real name was it a nickname? I felt Evan put his hand on my shoulder, I turned to him. He smiled and his dark blue eyes shone. "Dont worry, everything is going to be fine. You may not fit in, but you seem to be doing good so far." I smiled back, grateful for the support. That nighti lay in my bed, we were sill docked at the island. Iridian had provided me with a silky nightgown, it was far fancier then the one I wore back at Lord Sylvester's estate. I wondered where Iridian had gotten such an expensive looking piece of clothing, she didn't seem the type to wear it.

I could not sleep so I wandered up on deck in my nightgown. The wooden planks felt cool beneath my bare feet. I wandered up on to the upper deck and leaned on the railing beside the wheel, looking out on the night.A light breeze blew myshort golden hair and my gown. I started to daydream again. I dreamed of my family in Marleybone. I could see myself as a young child, swimming in a stream near our country farm in nothing but my pantaloons. The sun was big and bright and all around me was nothing but green field and pasture. The farm was a few feet away and i remembered my parents watching me from the house. They laughed and smiled, I noticed them. I covered my bare chest and ran to them. My mother picked me up and hugged me. Then my dream changed. This time i was chasing chickens on the farm carrying the barn cat, Scruffy, but before I could get to far in that daydream my mind switched to time I could see the soldiers arriving at my home on Skull Island in the middle of the evening, I watched their shadows from the hallway. They argued with my parents for a moment for pulling out their shackles. Before i could get to far in that dream I heard a door open, surprising me.

Bonny Anne emerged from below deck. she looked around and yawned. She look up and caught me on the upper deck. "Hello there, lassy" she called. "Hello" I called back. Bonny Anne made her way up to the upper deck and leaned on the railing beside me. "Why are you up here so late, lassy?" she asked. :I could not sleep" I responded. Aye" she said. "I like watching the night." We stood in silence for a moment watching the skies. "I can not believe my circumstances right now, i'm supposed to be at my masters house not swabbing planks on a pirate ship" Bonny Anne sighed. "Yes but ya may as well make the best of it, lassy, since yer stuck here."She said. I sighed, I knew i wasn't supposed o be here but it was my only chance of getting back to Skull Island.

"I think you should be grateful to the captain fer lettin' ya stay here. She's usually not to friendly to stowaway's" Bonnie Anne continued. "I dont think I can ever get used to this place." I said. Bonnie Anee smiled and put her hand around my shoulders. "Let me give you some advice, lassy" she said. "I think you've been quite fortunate. You've been accepted by Captain Blade and given a cushy job to earn ya keep. Imagine what would have happened if ya were still on that ship. So I think ye should be grateful to the captain and the crew for accepting ya in so easily, and since your getting a free trip I thinkye should accept and make the best of whatever it offers. Ye've been given an easy break and I'd think ye should be happy about it." I smiled. I guess she was right. I was fortunate for being accepted by the crew and their captain. I looked back toward the sky but, as i did, I saw a strange black dot siloueted against the dark sky.

I strained my eyes to see what it was, it looked big and intimidating. I noticed an spyrglass behind me and grabbed it. "Hey, that's the captain's" Bonnie Anne cried. I ignored her and looked through the spyglass. The dot slowly came into view. It was big and had strange cloud looking things above it. As in came into more into view my eyes widened when i realized what it as. "It's a ship!" I cried. "A ship" Bonnie Anne asked. The ship had black sails and the emblem of a shark on them. I haned Bonny Anne the hourglass and she look through it. "it's a Cutthroat Ship" she said. "We have to warn the crew." I looked desperately for something to use. "Ring on the bell on the lower deck" Bonnie Anne cried. I took the stairs down two at a time. When I reached the small golden bell I rung it vigerously. After a moment Captain Iridian ran up from up from below deck. Her hat and coat was missing , she was barefoot and her white shirt was undone. "What's goin' on!" she cried "Cutthroats are approaching us captain, there comin' at us fast!" Bonnie Anne cried. Iridian grabbed the spyglass from Bonnie Anne and tooked through it. After a minute she went over to the a hatch in the middle of the deck and kicked it. "Wake up ya mangy dogs!" she cried "There's a storm coming!" After a minute some tired looking boys opened the hatch and looked up at the captain with sleepy eyes. "There's a ship approaching us, git to the cannons!" Iridian yelled. A few boys ran up on deck, most of them shirtless and in their briefs. Iridian ran over to the edge opf the ship and looked through the spyglass.

"Bonny, man the wheel!" she yelled. Bonnie ran to the wheel and took control. She steered the ship expertly and we sailed quickly to the Cutthroat ship. Once we were close enough Iridian yelled, "Fire one" the boys loaded large cannons into the cannon and they were fired out with a large blast that rocked the ship, I clung to the ship railing. "Fire two!" Iridian yelled, still looking through the spyglass. The blast sounded again. For a moment all was still. Iridian stared thoughtfully through the spyglass. "Fire three!" She yelled suddenly.

Another blast. Iridian smiled. "Were not done yet laddies, fire four!" She yelled. A fourth blast sounded through the air. Iridian grinned wide "There turning tail, men!" She called. The ship erupted in cheers. "Who ringed the bell and warned us of this invasion?" Iridian asked when the cheering died down. "It was Sarah, captain, the new girl" Bonnie Anne called from the wheel. Iridian came over to me. "Good job, lass!" She called and slapped me on the back with a force so hard she nearly knocked me over. She turned to the crew. "Alright men invasions over, return to your quaters" she said. As the crew dispersed I looked out at the sky. I decided right then and there that no matter wt happens during this journey, i'll make the best of it.


End file.
